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Legal question regarding the sale of MAME Cabinets.
sidekick:
Man.... what a concept... your going to be rich I tells ya... right up there with Billy Gates
subcriminal:
Selling MAME cabs is bad mmmkay. :angry:
slider2732:
OK, it's an interesting one though.
The guy has built something that others want, spent probably months creating and refining. Some poeple just want to hand over cash and have the same.
Is he to sit there on his own and wonder, while others say 'no' or at best ignor ?
Is he to find out totally where his end limits are regarding legality, but never divulge that info ?
Is he one of those who doesn't care....i doubt it.
What's the score ? Where are the legal precedences and company representatives to tell this guy what he can't and can do ?
A sure footing is what all of us need who wish to extend/expand and enrich something that could well have died out a decade ago.
sealslayer:
I'm actually more curious about the commercial side of things now, selling to friends is not a problem lots use MAME and know that using Rom's that they do not own the rights to is technically illegal.
I have seen so many machines for sale on ebay that don't actually state they are using mame, they use the words such as "programmed to play X amount of games" and state that no illegal Rom's are sold with the machine, but you can bet that as soon as the buyer turns up at the house to collect the machine it is full of Rom's and MAME etc.
Afterall who wants to buy a machine only to find its just a empty HDD with maybe windows on it, then have to go home download mame buy or download Rom's etc, your going to be pretty peed off at having bought nothing more than a wooden PC with joysticks and buttons attached to it.
Most of the Cabinets look like crap that I've seen for sale on ebay, nothing more than a old machine with a ugly PC chucked inside and wired up to a interface.
It would be nice to be able to sell a good looking machine legally using MAME with their permission and a nice set of legal Rom's to boot.
I can't see anything wrong with this as long as its all above board and legal, I've been looking into having a design made and CNC cut, I can make a machine for far less than some of the brand new cabinets on ebay and still make a tidy profit to make it worth my while.
I could easily go down the "programmed to play" route and lie to potential buyers but whats the point? when I can try and do it legally,I have 2,300 positive feedback on ebay so I'm not out to rip people off, just trying to make a little cash doing something that I enjoy.
grantspain:
most of the cabs i have seen for sale in the u.k tend to be the multi jamma game kits as opposed to actual mame,of course its illegal to use anyones components for profit whether it be sale of a cab or operation in site without either their permission or a licence.
the gaming board(customs and exise) in the u.k have alot of powers to deal with illegal sale of equipment BUT they are more concerned with fruit machines and roulette type machines to give video's much notice
the sale of a cabinet without coin handling facilties would not interest the gaming board at all,if you have purchased a particular game system then almost all times this would automatically give you permission to do what you like,pretty much